This is the first book I have read by this author and thought it was fantastic 😍. I loved both the plot and the characters and didn’t want it to end. Definitely one to add to the bookshelf. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

As soon as I read the blurb for Beach Read I knew that it was one that I definitely wanted to read but little did I know that my planned review date would be bang smack in the middle of lockdown which has had an adverse effect on me personally. You'd think that with all this free time and not being able to go anywhere I would have more time to read but sadly this has not been the case for me, I have been struggling with the isolation which has severely hampered my reading mojo.

As the blurb states this story features two authors who are both on a deadline but struggling with writers block. January has made a name for herself writing stories that focus on happy ever afters, whereas the same cannot be said for the type of stories that Gus writes as his stories normally focus on the darker side of human nature. Their paths cross when January moves next door into the beach house that she discovered her dad owned after his death.

Both January and Gus were interesting characters and it's only as we scratch beneath the surface do we discover that both have been holding onto their fair share of emotional baggage that is preventing them from moving forward. Will they be able to open up and to one another and help each other heal? I have to confess that personally I much preferred January as a character to Gus, there was just that little something about him that prevented me from warming to him wholly.

What I loved most about this book was the exploration of genres, the concept of questioning why a book written by a male is typically classified as fiction and can be read by both men and women whereas a book written by a female is typically classified as women's fiction and deemed to appeal to women only. One night after a few drinks a bet is made for them both to try and write something outside of their normal style, Gus to write a Happily Ever After story and January to explore something a little darker.

The whole bet storyline was hilarious and I really enjoyed the intellectual sparring between the two of them when talking about their books and current writing progress. As for their research days, these certainly provided some interesting topics for discussion as well as some hilarious comedic moments and compromising situations. I loved their witty banter and the interactions between them although I was a little concerned that it might have been vering towards the corny at times but the author managed to cleverly avoid it going down that road.

My only minor gripe about this book was the title itself as it didn't really work for me, yes they both live in beachfront houses but other than that it didn't really fit with the whole concept/theme of the story that unfolds.

Overall I found Beach Read to be a heartwarming read that dealt with some emotional and sensitive topics such as relationship breakdowns, grief and infidelity.

January's life is in shreds, her long term partner dumped her in the hot tub, her father has died and she then discovered a long term affair he had, betraying her mother who is a 2 time cancer survivor. All her life's illusions are shattered and she has a book to write before the end of the summer. She goes to her father's house in the town he grew up, meets a uni fellow, Gus. They both have books to write in different genres, will they finish the books, will a love interest creep in? Easy reading with the feel good factor.

I couldn't put Beach Read down - a delightful romance novel that's about romance novels, among other things. Authors January Andrews and Augustus Everett meet in college, but we meet them about six years later when January unexpectedly moves next door to Gus for the summer. She's grieving the loss of a father leading a double life and struggling to write her next romance novel. They decide that the only way to get out of their respective writing ruts is a bet - she will write the next Great American Novel and Gus has to write something with a happy ending. I loved that this book wasn't one-dimensional and had complex layers. We see Gus accept his past and January move through the grieving process. I also really enjoyed Emily Henry's writing style and I look forward to seeing what she does next. Beach Read is indeed the perfect book to read this summer.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books UK for the ARC - all ravings are my own.

An original take on a familiar theme. Budding authors who dislike each other at college find themselves as neighbours several years later and after a shaky start they find they have more in common than they realised. january is a romantic, Gus is more pessimistic in his outlook, bu swapping genres can they begin to see each others point of view? Sharing their stories leads to the inevitable romance but can it survive? A good easy read for summer, twists and turns along the way but basically another love story.

This was the perfect romcom! I absolutely loved this story, it had all the right elements for me: good plot, likeable characters, and a lovely town :)

Please note this is a 2.5.

I saw a lot of people reviewing this on my feed and it came extraordinarily highly recommended- so I thought hey, why not, I’ll bite the bullet and actually read a romance for once in my life and abstain from my double life that consists of averting my eyes as I scurry past the Romance and Erotica section of the book store desperately trying to reach the Sci-Fi/Fantasy section.

Surprisingly, I liked some parts of this book a great deal. The set-up was fantastic, and I thought that the facet that handled January’s grieving process in the midst of the deaths in her family was really good. It goes through the highs and lows of death and it’s impacts, and it examines the massive effect that grief can have on our lives. It does this in more than one way too, and it really gives the reader an insight and empathy for her situation.

I didn’t enjoy how the romance was handled. It was too quick, and when the sex started up it felt a bit like it came out of the blue. I don’t mind graphic sex scenes, but they just came across as a little corny and I don’t find the writing particularly ‘steamy’ or anything of that nature- but to be fair, I’m unsure if I have the capacity to find anything ‘steamy’ beyond a nice hot bath. I think as well that the banter was good, but it got to a point where it was too much of a good thing and it spoiled the broth a little.

I will note as well that it’s not the light meet-cute it appears to be, and some people might have trouble with that. I didn’t- but I think it’s worth keeping in mind. Anyway, I continue on my quest to find a romance novel that I unequivocally love- and one day, it may happen...which may be the greatest love of all for me.

This is a wonderful book! Having the protagonists as authors, both musing on what they consider a happy ending, how they see the world, how that is reflected in their characters and how they like to hope for the future is genius. It allows the author to take this book into areas, situations and difficulties that subvert its genre and, therefore, the reader's expectations, whilst still delivering on the basic requirements for an engrossing, escapist read.

This is destined to be read widely so we can all travel to the lake shore of Michigan, go to the carnival and dance with our sexy neighbour in the rain whilst we are, in a sad reality, all stuck at home this summer.

I think this has to be one of my favourite reads of the year so far. January finds out her father had a beach house which he shared with another woman. Finally she has the courage to open the letters that her dad left her with his explanation which shows how our parents are human. He is a father who loves his daughter. In the next beach house is Gus who has a sad past which makes him write angsty fiction where January writes romance. Only she can't write romance after she finds out about her dad's second life. Gus and January decide to swap genres and go on a series of dates to see how each other write. They fall in love. This is a beautiful love story with fleshed out characters. Would highly recommend, Thank you to Netgalley and the publishes for letting me review this book.

I love love loved this book and devoured it in one sitting. The chemistry between January and Gus was sizzling from the start and I had to just keep reading to find out what happened between them. Add in the family drama and the book writing and you've got a great novel that I'll be recommending to everyone!

Loved this. Brilliant characters, incredibly well written and a great premise for a story. The back stories of the characters intertwined throughout and it was really just lovely. Definitely recommended.

This was 100% the perfect book to read to escape into the summery world of romance and novel writing. Especially in our current circumstances in quarantine, Beach Read let me escape into a different world and I loved every page.

Summary:
January Andrews just moved into her father's beach house to get her head down and write her newest romance novel - but with writer's block stopping her in her tracks, she needs something to trigger her inspiration. Here enters Augustus Everett, the mystery guy next door and also an acclaimed literary author. They cross paths and a friendship blossoms. One night a bet is made: both authors will swap genres and write their new bestseller, whoever sells their copy first wins bragging rights forever. But there's one rule, don't fall in love.

Writing:
I was thoroughly transported into the world of Beach Read. This is what I have been looking for in a book for so long. The idea that they are writing books while you read a book is something that my bookish nerd brain adores. The literary world and the world of authors was explored truthfully and came from an experienced writer. Us, as book lovers, never usually get to see the behind the scenes of story writing and only the finished product - I loved how this explored that idea while filling the pages with romance and drama.

Summary:
This is the perfect summer read and is a must-have for those who love romance that you can fully escape into. I fully agree with the hype that this book is getting at the moment and will recommend to anyone. It was such a whole-heartedly honest and raw book. A well-deserved five stars from me.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

☆☆☆☆☆/5

Enjoyed this book and it was perfect to read on a sunny weekend in the garden, easy to read and likeable characters. I enjoyed the way the story unfolded, getting to know more about the characters and discovering their back stories. The build up to January and Gus' relationship was very readable and at times very steamy! Looking forward to reading more by this author.

I’m going to preface this whole review by saying this was not the totally light read that I was expecting, with more serious tones to the story than I thought. BUT it was an easy reading experience with two characters that engaged the pages immediately and who had the most interesting yet heavy baggage.

The idea of two authors writing in different genres was an enticing one and the context did not disappoint. The grudging friendship and buddy writing including exposure to one another’s processes enriched the story as they navigated their mutual emotional mess and writer’s block.

"I’ll take you through my research process. I’ll help you lean into your latent nihilism, and you’ll teach me how to sing like no one’s listening, dance like no one’s watching and love like I’ve never been hurt before."

January’s family situation had me wanting some answers all the way through and Gus’ elusiveness about revealing himself also left me guessing. Some of reveals about Gus had me giddy with the feels.

Why does this book deserve the hype it’s getting? The dialogue was a dream, I highlighted almost nonsensically as I read, loving how Gus and January interacted with one another through their friendship and journey to more. My favourite moments had to be some of the window notes. January in particular was the queen of the killer quip and I adored her sharp-shooting humour.

BEACH READ seems to be the it-read of the summer season and I can’t argue with that. It wasn’t hard to pick up but it’s definitely hard to put down. I’m joining the crowd of people recommending you pick this one up.

Beach read is a romance story which manages to balance a healthy dose of cheese with more serious themes of grief, relationship breakdowns and challenging childhoods.

When January moves to the Beach house her father left her when he passed she intends to clear the house ready for sale while meeting her agents deadline for her next book. However, January, who always believed in love and happy endings is struggling to write following the death of her father, the end of her relationship and some recently uncovered family secrets.

Enter Gus, January’s college nemesis (and crush) who happens to live in the beach house next door....

This book was enjoyable, if a little predictable in places. You will want to shake the characters at times and hug them at others. A good summer read.

I loved this. It had so much depth and the characters behaved in genuine, believable ways which I don't think you always find in romance novels. Even quite close to the start there is a particular part that gave me a pang of sympathy, where January thinks of what she should say to her neighbour after arguing with him, but all she manages is 'I'm *so* tired'. I knew then I was going to love this book if it could make me feel like that so early on.
I liked all the other relationships we got to experience too, particularly January and her best friend. Not just a romance novel, something more.

Recently dumped romance writer January is upset when she discovers her late father had a love nest with another woman. The Michigan beach house has been left to January, so she heads out there and finds herself living next door to Gus, an author of dark literary fiction who doesn’t believe in happy endings. To shake things up, they decide to write in each other’s genres.
The chemistry and banter between the two authors were an absolute highlight and the first half of the book was shaping up as a highly entertaining read. However, it was more character-driven than plot-driven, and there is only so many times you can go over the same emotional baggage without much else happening.

January thought her life was perfectly romantic and it mirrored the love her parents had until she discovered her Dad had died and his other woman had turned up at his funeral. Struggling with writers block she moves to her Dad’s beach house and the elusive neighbour, Gus, turns out to be a writer and soon they begin a battle to write books and discover about life and love as they go along.
The characters in this book were so beautifully written and it was such an emotive book. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

A fun, light, quick romance perfect for the beach! Well written and developed realistic characters. I wouldn't exactly characterise it as "laugh out loud" but it sure had its funny moments. A solid "beach read".

This was the story of January, a romance writer who has lost her father and found out a terrible secret leaving her unable to write the love stories that used to come to her so easily. She moves to her fathers second house to empty it ready to sell it and with the hope of getting some writing done. She does not expect to be living next door to her old college rival, the guy who constantly criticised her work and never kept a girl for longer than a few weeks.

Although on the surface this is a fun romance it touches on so much more, it looks at grief, self acceptance, miscommunication and of course love! I really enjoyed how the story unfolded, the characters were well written, believable and I completely got lost in the story. I can see it being made into a movie!

This book was the perfect summer read, it had everything I didn't know I needed in a beach read and I will definitely be picking up a copy of the authors next book.